Former BJP senior leader Eknath Khadse joins NCP, warns BJP against misusing ED

Two days after he resigned from the primary membership of BJP, Eknath Khadse joined NCP in the presence of party supremo Sharad Pawar and other leaders on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Khadse recalled his long association with BJP and contended that he had no future left in that party. In a veiled dig at former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis whom he blamed for his exit from BJP, the former Muktainagar MLA stated that he did not believe in levelling allegations against someone through a third person. 

While resigning from BJP on Wednesday, Khadse claimed that he was asked to resign as a Minister in 2016 on the sole insistence of Fadnavis. Referring to his conversation with Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil, Khadse asserted that he was not scared of the possibility of an Enforcement Directorate probe being initiated against him. His induction into NCP comes amid speculation that he might be nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

Eknath Khadse remarked, "It is not my style to make someone else level allegations. I am not a newcomer. During our conversation, when Jayant Patil asked me whether I wanted to join NCP, I said yes. Thereafter, he told me that they might unleash the ED after you. I told him, "If they (BJP) unleash ED on me, I will play the CD."

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Khadse's political career

After entering active politics, Jalgaon-born Eknath Khadse helped BJP establish a strong base in northern Maharashtra. He was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly from the Muktainagar constituency for six consecutive terms till 2019. Having served as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly from 2009 to 2014, he was also among the contenders for the Chief Minister's post. However, the then BJP state president Fadnavis became the CM and Khadse joined his Cabinet.

However, he resigned in 2016 after being embroiled in a series of controversies such as the purported impropriety in the purchase of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation land in Pune and purportedly receiving phone calls from terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. Moreover, there were allegations of irregularities in his 2014 election affidavit. Khadse made it clear that none of these charges could be proven.

The perception of Khadse's isolation within BJP gained momentum after he was denied a ticket to contest from Muktainagar in the 2019 Assembly election. While BJP fielded his daughter Rohini from this constituency, she lost to an independent candidate. But the senior BJP leader held some insiders from within his party responsible for Rohini Khadse's defeat. Thereafter, he was not considered for an MLC berth too. For now, it is unclear whether his daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse- the sitting BJP Lok Sabha MP from Raver will follow suit. 

Read: 'Khadse Telling Half-truths': Fadnavis Downplays Leader's Exit, Sees No Impact In Jalgaon